


Chess

by Comicsohwhyohwhy



Category: Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616
Genre: Angst and Humor, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Civil War (Marvel), Fluff and Angst, Gen, Oh Reed, Oh Tony, TW alcoholism, but not really, kind of, marginally, maybe I'll decide to fix it, tw character death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-07
Updated: 2014-08-07
Packaged: 2018-02-12 03:19:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2093730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Comicsohwhyohwhy/pseuds/Comicsohwhyohwhy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>The first time Reed played against Tony, he had only just met him. [...] The last time Reed played against Tony, he was only sitting opposite his holographic projection.</i>
</p><p>A history of the friendship between Tony and Reed, told in chess games, featuring iconic stories such as Civil War in the background. Also, Superior Iron Man, kind of. And feels.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chess

**Author's Note:**

> The "major character death"-warning is very debatable, it's kind of up to your imagination :P... But to make very sure, I put it in.
> 
> Thanks to [Iloome](http://archiveofourown.org/users/iloome/pseuds/iloome) for beta <3!

The first time Reed played against Tony, he had only just met him.

They got acquainted at a conference dealing with the technologies of the future, where both of them gave presentations. Reed was rather proud of his speech on the potential of quantum generated energy, but when the discussion round was opened, a hand shot up immediately. Reed motioned for the man to get up, and when he got a clearer view he saw what looked like a young businessman with a stylish haircut in a sleek suit.

As the man started speaking, though, it quickly became clear that Reed had been mistaken. This was clearly a scientist, criticising his conceptual approach and, above all, its practical implementation, all the while suggesting ways to improve his mathematical framework. Reed was intrigued.

After the panel, the man came over to him with an easy smile and held out his hand. “Hi, Dr. Richards, I am Tony.”

Reed took his hand, shaking it. “Tony...?”

“Tony Stark. But let’s leave out the Stark, eh? Reeks of my father’s glories, and all that.”

That same evening, Reed invited Tony over to the Baxter building, where their intense discussion continued while Tony was wandering around the building, offhandedly commenting the things he encountered. “You play chess?” he suddenly asked, motioning to the old board that had belonged to Reed’s grandfather.

“Yes, passionately.”

Tony gave him a mischievous grin. “Let’s go a few rounds, then.”  


********

One of the first things that surprised Reed about Tony was how… strategic he was. He managed to somehow babble on about both scientific matters and trivial things, seeming completely unfocused, and still play the game so well that he was a serious opponent for Reed. And Reed wasn’t really used to having serious opponents. He had to admit that it was almost irksome how intuitively talented Tony seemed to be, considering that he had claimed not to play much. But maybe how he presented himself was to be taken with a grain of salt, too.

“Oh, Dr. Richards, be careful there, your rook seems awfully exposed! Also, have you heard Hank Pym’s new hypothesis on Overspace? What do you think?”

“Hm?” Reed asked, checking the position of his rook.

“Overspace. I think he developed his theories on it while talking to ants. I am not sure if that is a trustworthy scientific process, you know.”

“It probably isn’t,” Reed murmured, trying to work out his next move. Tony fiddled with his pieces. Suddenly, he looked up at Reed, grinned, moved his bishop and declared, “Checkmate. You know what, that was fun, we should do that more often!”

**********

They had long ago started playing on multiple boards simultaneously. Reed was about to complete a move that would put Tony into checkmate on two of those boards when he heard him sigh.

“Reed, there’s something I have to tell you.”

Reed looked up. “Are you just stalling because I am about to win?” he asked suspiciously. He had gotten used to some of Tony’s strategies by now and had learned never to trust his distractions.

Tony laughed, apparently delighted. “Reed, you know me so well, I am really proud of your insight into my personality! But no, really, there is something I should tell you.”

Reed sat up straight, intrigued despite himself. “Yes?”

“I am Spider-Man.”

Reed sighed. “Tony, please. We are in the middle of a serious game.”

Tony wrung his hands. “But really, I am!”

“You are a teenager in spandex? You know, if you had said Iron Man or Yellowjacket, I might have been inclined to believe you.”

There was a little pause. Then Tony chuckled. “Ah well. It was worth a try. And now I really have to leave, before you can utterly destroy me. I am not sure my ego can take such a blow. Bye, Reed!” He waved and had disappeared from the room before Reed even had a chance to reply.

**********

“Reed, there’s something I have to tell you.”

Reed looked up and barely repressed a sigh. “Another revelation to keep me from winning this game?”

“Oh come on, I just did that a couple of weeks ago! This time, I would arrange for an airstrike on the Baxter building to interrupt the game at the appropriate time.”

Reed just shook his head slightly. He would never fully get Tony’s style of communication, full of quips and ironic remarks at inappropriate moments, such as the final moves of an exciting game of chess.

“What is it, then?”

“I am Iron Man.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“Oh.” Reed looked down at the board, thinking about the position of his king. He should really move it out of the way of Tony’s attack maneuver. “Well, okay then.”

Tony looked at him incredulously. “’Okay then?’ That’s all you have to say to it?”

But if he moved his king now, he might endanger his queen… “Well, it’s not exactly surprising, is it?”

Tony laughed. “It isn’t? Why?”

Reed calculated his next possible six moves. “Tony, you have a bodyguard in a highly advanced tech suit you built that is never seen at the same time and in the same place as you and that happens to be a highly intelligent, scientifically educated asset to a superhero team you fund. It doesn’t exactly take a genius to work it out.”

Now it was Tony’s turn to shake his head. When Reed looked up, he saw that Tony was smiling at him fondly. “Well, I wouldn’t be so sure about that. Let’s just say that I am glad not everyone in the world is Reed Richards, no offence. Also, I am telling you because I have arranged this meeting with Charles Xavier, Stephen Strange and some others next week that I wanted to talk to you about…”

**********

Reed was sitting in Tony’s lab, pondering his next move – king or bishop? − when there was the sound of glass shattering. When he looked up, he saw that Tony had knocked over his glass of water.

“Sorry” Tony said. “I’ll get something to clean this up.”

Reed looked after Tony hurrying out of the room. He didn’t really seem to walk… in a straight line? Reed furrowed his brows. Tony had seemed oddly distracted of late. Of course, him talking non-stop while playing was nothing new, Reed had gotten used to that. But normally, he still at least stood a very good chance at winning, or the talking was actually part of his strategy, it was always hard to decide which one it was on any given day. Of late, though, Tony had actually stopped talking all the time, and started losing a lot instead. Even now, Reed could easily see three different ways to outplay him.

He got up and went over to where the glass had shattered. A pungent smell reached his nose. This was clearly not water.

When Tony returned, Reed stood next to the wet spot on the floor.

“Tony…”

Tony stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the expression on Reed’s face. “What?” he asked warily.

“Why are you drinking vodka while we are playing chess?”

Tony seemed to take a deep breath. Then he smiled, but it didn’t seem quite natural. “Why, do you not find me a challenging enough opponent if I’ve had a little drink?”

“Well, I mean, yes, but of late…” Reed started. Then he stopped, not knowing how to say what was on his mind.

“Spit it out, Reed,” Tony said wearily.

“You are losing more than usual, of late.”

Tony gave a bitter laugh. “So that’s your problem with me? I am boring you when we play chess? Sorry for that.”

Reed looked at Tony helplessly. There was something strange in his eyes, something he couldn’t quite pinpoint. He didn’t know what to say. “No, it’s okay, Tony, don’t worry.”

Tony took another shaking breath, and suddenly, his eyes were blazing. “Well, I am glad we settled that and that you can forgive me my sudden ineptitude at chess, Reed. You really are a good friend. And now you should really go. Goodbye, give my regards to Sue.”

Tony stormed out and all that Reed could do was stare after him.

**********

When H.E.R.B.I.E. announced that Tony had entered the building, Reed didn’t even bother to react. He was in the middle of programming an upgrade to the algorithms for 42 and didn’t want to break his concentration. And over the past weeks, he had become so used to working with Tony in his lab that he almost considered him to be his housemate. He didn’t have many other housemates left, after all.

“Hi, Reed, fancy a game of chess before we begin?” Tony asked upon entering.

“Hm?” Reed looked up and saw that Tony was smiling at him. But over the years, Reed had slowly learnt to recognise that smile for what it was: a front Tony put up in order to stop people from worrying. Tony looked… wretched. He was pale and had shadows under his eyes that were so dark that they almost made his face look like a skull with huge holes instead of eyes. Also, he had clearly lost weight, his elegant designer suit loose on his body. Reed considered for a moment, then he smiled back. “Sure, Tony, let’s do that.”

They didn’t talk much, each of them focusing on the game. The silence was only interrupted by the occasional comment on a particularly shrewd move. It was strangely comforting, to have this routine.

“Reed, listen,” Tony said, all of a sudden. “I am really sorry.”

Reed raised his eyebrows. “What for?”

Tony grimaced. “For… everything? For Sue leaving, at that particular moment, if you want details?”

Reed cast his eyes down. “That is hardly your fault, Tony.”

Tony gave him a pained smile. “If you say so.” It was rather obvious he didn’t believe Reed.

“Tony, I am an adult, I make my own decisions. I believe in what we are doing. It’s just a shame Sue didn’t… see it that way.” He swallowed. Should he move his queen out of the danger zone now or could that wait?

Tony sighed audibly. “Okay. Also, I am winning, you’d better step up your game.”

It really was strangely comforting.

**********

Reed was trying to concentrate, but without much success. The fabric of the new suit felt strange on his body, and whenever he thought of the reason he was wearing it, he wanted to punch something. And he knew that this probably meant he was pretty far gone, as he wasn’t exactly prone to violence, normally.

Without paying any attention to what he was doing, he moved a pawn.

He heard Tony sigh.

“Reed, that move doesn’t even make any sense. I’ll take the pawn off the board next move and have you checkmate in two more moves if you do that.”

Reed looked up. “Oh. Yes. Sorry.”

He gazed down at the board again, trying to make sense of the state of the game. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He flinched.

Tony had gotten up and moved around the board. He looked down at him, eyes full of sadness.

“Reed, I am so sorry about Johnny. Really, I am.”

Reed held his gaze for another second, then he felt something break within. He buried his head in his hands.

“I… I can’t help but think… That this was my fault… If only I had prepared us properly…”

He heard Tony shift, and suddenly he was on his level, looking at him intently. “Listen to me. This wasn’t your fault. Johnny made his own choices, you know just as well as I do that these things _happen_. Don’t take this away from him. He wouldn’t want that.”

When Reed abandoned himself to his sobbing, Tony put his arms around him.

********

Tony was sitting opposite him, his eyes glowing a cold blue. Reed looked at him and couldn’t help but be unnerved by the sight. Tony’s new tech really was an amazing achievement, reminiscent of Extremis, but, like Extremis, it was also… very strange. Through the years, Reed had seen Tony with eyes sparkling full of humour, he had seen him look angry and almost broken, barely holding on, and he had seen Tony look at others warmly. But he had never seen him look so… indifferent, so incredibly cold.

Tony gave an impatient sigh. “Reed, your move, how long is this going to take? I kind of have somewhere to be, you know.”

Reed flinched a little at the sharp tone of Tony’s voice. “Yes, sure,” he said, and moved a bishop without having considered all the options.

Tony sighed again. “Really?” When he made his move, it became clear that he had outmaneuvered Reed. “You are making this too easy on me, you know. What’s the matter?”

Reed swallowed. He didn’t know how to discuss what was on his mind. But he had to, he knew that. He had stayed silent about things in the past for way too long. “Tony, your new tech…”

“What about it?”

“It is amazing, you know that, but are you sure…”

All of a sudden, Tony slammed his fist on the table. “Seriously?! You too? Who put you up to this? Steve?”

Reed had gone rigid in his chair. “What do you mean –“

“I mean that _everyone_ keeps on pestering me about this and about what I am building in San Francisco. Do you also want to complain about me having become ‘cold and distant’?” There was a sneer in Tony’s voice. “Really, can’t you people bear the fact that for once in my life, I am _happy_?”

“Tony, no, that’s not what I meant…”

Tony pressed his lips into a thin line. “I am sure it isn’t. Now, as I said, I have places to be. Goodbye.”

*********

The last time Reed played against Tony, he was only sitting opposite his holographic projection. Tony had left, after what he had tried to build in San Francisco had imploded, turning him into a wanted man. Seeing him sitting there, shoulders slumped, dark circles under his eyes, Reed was convinced that whatever had changed Tony so in the last few months had lost its influence over him. This was his Tony, again, and he was selfishly glad for it.

Tony, apparently, wasn’t quite as glad. There was a sadness lurking in his eyes that Reed hadn’t seen there for quite a while. He made his moves slowly, reflecting on them, and he didn’t talk much. Reed suddenly realised that he missed the days in which he could hardly get Tony to shut up.

The endgame was prolonged, and it resulted in a draw. Tony looked up and smiled at Reed.

“Thanks for the game, Reed. I should be off.”

Reed raised his hands. “Wait a moment, Tony. Where are you?”

Tony looked over his shoulder. “Well, Reed, I can hardly tell you that, as I am a wanted man, you know. It would be foolish of me to give away my hiding place.”

“But Tony, you can’t possibly think I would betray you…”

“Well, one can never know,” Tony said. Then he checked over his shoulder again and quickly mouthed: “staying with the Guardians.”

Reed smiled. This was good. Tony had loved space the last time he had stayed with them, he could put himself together again there, exploring and building, Reed was sure of that. “When can we play again?” he asked.

Tony gave him another little smile. “I don’t know, how about next week?”

“Yes, let’s do that.” Reed waved and switched the projector off.

He never saw Tony again.


End file.
